Newark Students Walk Out to Protest Privatization Plans and Budget Cuts

Though Governor Chris Christie refers to students protesting his privatization plans as drug mules, the students of Newark decided yesterday to stand up for their right to an education and walked out of class to protest the attack on their public school system.

About 1,000 students from a half-dozen Newark high schools walked out of class today and gathered on Rutgers-Newark campus to protest deep cuts to the district’s budget.

The Newark Students Union planned the rally to sway state legislators to fully fund the city’s schools according to a 2008 funding formula passed by the Legislature, said Jaysen Bazioe, a senior at Science Park High School and one of the group’s leaders.

Newark has been an experiment of sorts for the “ed reform” movement – a not so well hidden attempt to turn public schools over to private companies in the hopes of profits on the front end for Corporate America and profits on the back end for the politicians who make it happen.

Late last month, Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson said the district faces a $57 million deficit due, in part, to a growing number of students who attend charter schools.

In February, the state Department of Education said Newark would receive roughly the same amount of state aid next year it received last year. However, the Christie administration has not yet restored all the aid that was cut from Newark and other districts in 2010.

Yes, the charter schools continually caught cheating in the drill and kill testing regime promoted by testing companies who contribute to political campaigns used to evaluate teachers for “reform” are snaking money out of the system. Then later of course charters will be needed to take over the “failing” public schools. Fun game huh?

Newark Students Walk Out To Protest Privatization Plans And Budget Cuts

Though Governor Chris Christie refers to students protesting his privatization plans as drug mules, the students of Newark decided yesterday to stand up for their right to an education and walked out of class to protest the attack on their public school system.

About 1,000 students from a half-dozen Newark high schools walked out of class today and gathered on Rutgers-Newark campus to protest deep cuts to the district’s budget.

The Newark Students Union planned the rally to sway state legislators to fully fund the city’s schools according to a 2008 funding formula passed by the Legislature, said Jaysen Bazioe, a senior at Science Park High School and one of the group’s leaders.

Newark has been an experiment of sorts for the “ed reform” movement – a not so well hidden attempt to turn public schools over to private companies in the hopes of profits on the front end for Corporate America and profits on the back end for the politicians who make it happen.

Late last month, Newark Superintendent Cami Anderson said the district faces a $57 million deficit due, in part, to a growing number of students who attend charter schools.

In February, the state Department of Education said Newark would receive roughly the same amount of state aid next year it received last year. However, the Christie administration has not yet restored all the aid that was cut from Newark and other districts in 2010.

Yes, the charter schools continually caught cheating in the drill and kill testing regime promoted by testing companies who contribute to political campaigns used to evaluate teachers for “reform” are snaking money out of the system. Then later of course charters will be needed to take over the “failing” public schools. Fun game huh?